Lin Fan sat on the chair, rubbing his knees with his hands, and asked, "Teacher Edo, are you... feeling unwell again?"
Edo Xue's face immediately turned red, and she huffed, "How dare you say that? You only think about bullying me every day!"
After she spoke, her heart filled with grievance and resentment could no longer be suppressed, and tears immediately welled up.
Then, she cried harder and harder, her tears flowing like a spring, her beautiful face losing its color.
In an instant, Lin Fan was dumbfounded.
He had been feeling pleased when Edo Xue came to see him, but unexpectedly, she started crying the moment she walked in!
Who had upset her?
Although asking if she needed treatment was a bit disingenuous, they should have had a tacit understanding. What was wrong with asking?
It was nothing!
But now, how had it turned into this?
"Teacher Edo, please don't cry. It's my fault."
Lin Fan moved closer to her, wanting to put his arm around her delicate shoulder, but fearing he might provoke her further, he didn't.
"Wuwuwu..."
Edo Xue's cries grew louder, as if Lin Fan had truly bullied her.
Lin Fan sighed inwardly. What was going on with women?
Although he hadn't interacted with many women, he understood a fundamental truth: "As long as a woman cries, no matter the reason, apologize first!"
But he couldn't figure out why she was angry.
At this moment, he mustered his courage and gently put his arm around Edo Xue's delicate shoulder.
Regardless of anything else, she was a woman he had kissed. Now, he could only try to coax her.
Edo Xue didn't resist. Instead, she huffed, "You don't even know what you did wrong!"
She looked up at Lin Fan, tears streaming down her face.
Lin Fan's face was etched with misery. "I know."
Edo Xue wiped away her tears. "Then tell me, what exactly is your mistake?"
Lin Fan felt a bit conflicted. If he could correct this kind of mistake, he would have been with his sister-in-law long ago.
"I... from beginning to end, I am unforgivable, utterly wicked, and deeply sinful..."
Lin Fan stammered out nonsensical apologies.
What else could he do?
In the end, all the mistakes were his.
After all, the declaration of modern feminism was: Women are always right!
Edo Xue pouted coquettishly, "See? I told you you don't know what you did wrong."
Lin Fan was speechless.
Women!
What were they thinking?
"Don't cry, it's me who's wronged you."
Lin Fan reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks, but she slapped his hand away.
"I've been too busy lately, with so much going on."
"You said that out of the blue, the village asked people to survey Luofeng Mountain, and then several people got poisoned."
"We're still building a house, and the clinic can't be left unattended..."
Lin Fan looked at her tear-reddened eyes and finally guessed some of her thoughts.
"Don't you have any time at all?"
"Is the school far from your home?"
Edo Xue's two consecutive questions made her look like a child who had been wronged.
"I was afraid it wouldn't be convenient for you. You live at the school, so I only have time at night. If I went there..."
Lin Fan gave her a knowing look.
Edo Xue nodded, acknowledging his explanation, but still pouted pitifully, "But you can't not come to see me!"
Lin Fan's heart fluttered.
This feeling, this tone...
Some things couldn't be faked, especially when it came to emotions.
"I, I'll come see you when I have time in the future."
Lin Fan understood Edo Xue's feelings, but their circumstances were vastly different, and rationally, there wouldn't be any outcome.
A fleeting romance, and then they would go their separate ways, perhaps that would be the best outcome.
However, judging by Edo Xue's demeanor, she might have developed true feelings.
"Hmph, you liar!"
Edo Xue wrinkled her cute little nose, her tone almost like a lover's coquettish plea.
Lin Fan patted his chest, promising, "I'm not lying, really."
Edo Xue glared at him. "Big bad guy!"
"Yes, yes, yes, it's all my fault."
The more Lin Fan looked at her adorable appearance, the more he liked her, even wanting to kiss her.
Was this the widely respected and beloved volunteer teacher?
Why was she acting like a child?
Edo Xue pouted and huffed, "What are you smiling about?"
Lin Fan chuckled foolishly and replied, "I, I think you look very cute right now, and I like it very much."
"You like it?" Edo Xue widened her beautiful eyes. "You like to bully me? How can you be so bad?"
After saying that, Edo Xue punched Lin Fan's chest.
Swish!
Lin Fan's reflexes were quick. He instantly grabbed her fair, smooth, little fist.
"Don't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because..."
Lin Fan wasn't foolish enough to say things like "I like you."
"I'm afraid your hand will hurt."
Lin Fan thought for a moment and came up with a clumsy romantic line.
Edo Xue chuckled, spraying Lin Fan's face with some liquid medicine.
Lin Fan naturally didn't wipe it off immediately.
He took Edo Xue's hand and said, "Let's go wash your face. Don't let anyone see, or they'll misunderstand."
"You're afraid now?" Edo Xue pretended to be tough. "You really bullied me, and I'm not afraid of people knowing."
"It's me who's afraid, please!"
Lin Fan pulled Edo Xue up with a little force.
Edo Xue leaned back, deliberately going against him. "Let everyone see the true face of you, you bad guy! Many people will help me scold you!"
The two of them were like a tug-of-war, each trying to outdo the other.
Lin Fan was afraid of hurting her, so he didn't push the matter.
Otherwise, even ten Edo Xues combined wouldn't be Lin Fan's match.
"You're not going, are you?"
Lin Fan stopped his movement, his tone carrying a hint of a threat.
"I'm not!"
Edo Xue tilted her head up to look at him, her beautiful eyes full of defiance.
Lin Fan stopped procrastinating. He scooped her up with one arm under her legs and the other supporting her waist.
"Ah!"
Edo Xue cried out in surprise. It wasn't until she was pressed against Lin Fan's warm chest that she realized her current predicament.
"Put me down quickly!"
"You want me to put you down just because you say so?"
"You!"
Edo Xue hit him, her voice filled with nervousness. "People will see!"
"Didn't you say you weren't afraid of people seeing?"
Lin Fan's lips curved up. After speaking, he walked towards the house.
"You, you, you, what are you doing?"
Edo Xue panicked. "It's broad daylight, and someone could come into the clinic at any moment!"
Lin Fan chuckled, "As a doctor, of course, healing and saving people is more important."
"My dear lady, I see a dark aura around your forehead and a pale complexion. It indicates a hidden ailment."
Lin Fan put on a compassionate expression. "Coincidentally, I understand a medical technique that can cure this ailment. Please follow me."
With that, Lin Fan, carrying Edo Xue, walked into the house.